'This is not time to fight': Sheriff says he and city of Saginaw in struggle over how much each should get of $161,500 anti-crime cash from the federal government

SAGINAW — In a rewind of two years ago, Saginaw County Sheriff William L. Federspiel said he and the city of Saginaw have hit “an impasse” on how to divide an anticipated $161,561 in federal cash to fight crime with the clock ticking toward a use it or lose it deadline a month away.

Federspiel described his frustration Tuesday over the dispute with the city in similar terms when the two sides tangled over a record, federal stimulus-boosted $1 million U.S. Department of Justice grant through the same program in 2009.

“I don’t know why this year we’re back to struggling,” he said Tuesday. “We’re at an impasse right now. ... This is not time to fight. No time to fight at all. I’ve shown my cooperation to the city.”

Two years ago, both sides eventually reached a settlement that gave the city 51 percent
of the grant and the county and a handful of township police agencies
the rest. The match over how much each side should collect that time
reached a near fever pitch and authorities feared put the money at risk
of return to federal coffers.

This time, the lawman said would like to split the grant equally between Saginaw and his department. The county's share would pay the wages of a road patrol deputy. He rejected what he said were city claims of an the county picking an arbitrary number.

“This is not arbitrary,” the former Saginaw City Council member and city resident said. “We have been doing 50 percent allocations for as long as I’ve been sheriff.”

The News left a message after hours Tuesday for Phil Ludos, assistant city manager
for public safety, for comment. He’s serving as one of the
city’s negotiators, said Federspiel, who noted City Manager Darnell
Earley also has a say in the talks.

The sheriff updated the status of
the negotiations Tuesday to the County Board of Commissioners Courts and
Public Safety Committee.

Two years ago, the city argued it deserved a greater share of the dollars because of the crime rate. Federspiel reiterated Tuesday under federal guidelines his department deserves an equal share because the county pays more than half of the amount to prosecute and incarcerate county jail inmates.

The two sides had little trouble reaching a deal in 2010.

But not this time.

A deal has to be reached by July 21 or the county and city risk seeing the money return to the Department of Justice.

“I’m confident we’ll get there,” Federspiel said. “I just hope we get there on time.”